California Rep. Kevin McCarthy commented on the future of his career in politics after being ousted from the office of Speaker of the House last month.
McCarthy is the first Speaker of the House to be removed from the office in United States history. The former Speaker said he wasn’t sure if he wanted to remain in Congress amid his upcoming re-election in 2024 during a Sunday interview with CNN’s Manu Raju.
“I got the holidays. I’ll talk to my family about the ideas of what [to do] going forward and then I’ll make a decision,” McCarthy told Raju.
McCarthy on staying in the House. “There are so many ways you can do that to make sure you’re getting the job done. And I’m going to look at all options.” pic.twitter.com/8jdvHZqAeZ
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) November 12, 2023
“I want to make sure Speaker Johnson was able to come in to office,” he said of newly elected Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. “I wanted to make sure he had the resources and … whatever help I could provide.” McCarthy said he wanted to continue serving his California district, though said he would look at “all options.”
The former Speaker also commented on the House Ethics Committee’s investigation into Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz saying, “if the Ethics Committee never does anything to Gaetz, then Gaetz was successful in stopping probably what rightfully should have come to him.”
Prior to McCarthy’s ousting, the former Speaker suggested Gaetz’s effort to remove him as House Speaker was directly related to the investigation into the Florida representative.
“I don’t care what they threaten against me,” Speaker McCarthy said. “I’m not gonna interject into an independent committee like Ethics, and I’m not going to put Swalwell back on the Intel Committee … they can do whatever they want.”
Gaetz, who is currently under investigation for alleged sexual misconduct and illicit drug use among other allegations, denied accusations that his interest in vacating McCarthy’s seat is related to the Ethics Committee’s investigation into him.
“I am the most investigated man in the entire Congress, and right there you saw Kevin McCarthy lying like a dead dog because I have never asked him to interfere in any ethics matter,” Gaetz told MSNBC. “[An] abject lie from a sad and pathetic man who lies to hold onto power.”
McCarthy’s removal was spearheaded by Gaetz, who was joined by seven House Republicans including Andy Biggs and Eli Crane of Arizona, Ken Buck of Colorado, Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Bob Good of Virginia, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and Matt Rosendale of Montana.
Several House republicans including Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Tom Emmer, and Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan were selected as GOP nominees for Speaker of the House amid the nearly month-long search for McCarthy’s successor.
Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson ultimately secured Speakership with unanimous Republican support in late-October.
